tread.

The horizontal surface of a stair step on which a person places a foot.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• worn tread
• timber treads
• narrow stair tread

On the page

The middle of each tread had worn into a shallow hollow.

He tested the loose tread before putting his weight on it.

A strip of rubber covered every tread on the service stairs.

Usage notes

Primary category: architecture. Building noun sense; not the verb meaning walk or the pattern on a tyre. Count noun: treads.